1192 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The Head of Shanxi Taoist Family. I halted upon seeing the middle-aged man referred to as Do Yoon's father. "Is something the matter?" The head of the family looked at me with a puzzled expression. "No… it's nothing." I quickly reacted, but my gaze remained fixed on his face. What is this? What on earth? 'Why is that person… here.' I couldn't help it. The face of the family head I was looking at now was— 'Why is the Lord of Black Night Palace... here?' The Lord of Black Night Palace, who had accompanied The Heavenly Demon, was an exact replica of his face. * * * "I'm sorry, this is all I can offer." As he awkwardly spoke, looking at the tea in front of us, I bowed my head. "No, it's fine. I was just feeling thirsty." "...Did he even wash the teacups." I pinched Namgung Jin's thigh to preempt his nonsense, causing him to yelp. "You!" "Shut up, please." My mind was already a mess, and now this fool was acting up. Should I be angry or not? I sighed deeply and looked forward. There sat the family head, Do Cheol—Do Yoon's father, who had introduced himself—and Do Yoon. "Hahaha. I never imagined my son would bring friends over." "We're not friends—" "We're both part of the Blue Dragon Unit. I'm Baek Yangcheon. It's an honor to meet you, Head of the Shanxi Taoist Family." I nudged Namgung Jin in the side, hoping even a madman like him would understand. "...I'm Namgung Jin, also in the Blue Dragon Unit." Thankfully, he caught on. I was worried he might speak informally, but at least he got the manners right. "Oh! Namgung Jin, could you be the Sword Dragon?" "That's right." When Do Cheol recognized him, Namgung Jin's shoulders puffed up. His glance towards me was irritating, as if he was showing off. 'Should I gouge his eyes out?' As I glared, Namgung Jin averted his gaze. "I heard recently that my son joined the Blue Dragon Unit. I wasn't sure if it was true... It's heartwarming to know he's with such young heroes." Do Cheol spoke with excitement. "Father... haha..." Do Yoon sheepishly scratched his head, as if embarrassed. It seemed they had a warm father-son relationship. At least that's how it appeared. '...What is this, really?' Even as I looked at Do Cheol, all I felt was confusion. What was with that face? 'Why is the Lord of Black Night Palace's face right in front of me?' He was a bit older and had a fuller beard, but it was unmistakably the Lord of Black Night Palace. Even though his eyes were black instead of purple, that was him for sure. 'How?' I couldn't understand it. They looked far too alike to not be the same person. 'They can't be the same person.' They simply couldn't be the same. To my knowledge, the Lord of Black Night Palace was an unorthodox master similar in age to my father. He might appear younger than his actual age, but even so... 'He looked younger than this...' Unless he had discovered the secret to eternal youth, this was impossible. 'Then, perhaps...' I looked at Do Yoon. Since he's a martial artist about his father's age, perhaps he might become the Lord of Black Night Palace in the future, I speculated. 'No.' But no matter how I looked at it, they didn't resemble each other much. Unless his face underwent a complete transformation, it was impossible. So what is it? 'Just a coincidence?' Could it really be that they just happened to possess the same face? While not impossible, the odds seem implausible. 'It's hard to call it a coincidence.' There must be something at play here. With that thought, I took a sip of tea. "Does it suit your taste?" "Ah, yes. It's delicious." As I responded, I glanced to my side. It seemed Namgung Jin liked it as well. Thankfully, he wasn't a picky eater. "I'm relieved. I've already informed the head chef, so the food will be ready soon. Please rest a bit. Our young master will show you around." With those words, Do Cheol left. We bowed to him as he closed the door, which didn't shut entirely. Do Yoon, with a similar expression as before, spoke to me. "Isn't it a bit shabby?" "I was surprised." I answered honestly. It would have been ruder to say otherwise. "Still, it's not so uncomfortable that we can't stay. They do clean diligently." "...Does that mean the family head cleans himself?" "We don't have many servants." The idea of the family head helping with cleaning due to a lack of servants was astonishing. It was bewildering. Perhaps due to my shocked expression, Do Yoon's face turned a bit bitter. Seeing this, I quickly turned my head, but it seemed too late. Just as things started to get awkward. "Ah, I should at least introduce the house. Shall we?" Namgung Jin grimaced slightly at the prospect of a tour of the family estate. "Is that really necessary? I'd just rather sit here." "Come on, you should at least take a look around." Ignoring Namgung Jin's reply, I grabbed him and stood him up. There was no point in resisting. He just sulked with a sullen face. "If you find it uncomfortable, feel free to sit, Senior." "It's not uncomfortable for him. Don't worry about it, let's go." "I find it uncomfortable—" "Where do we start?" I easily dismissed Namgung Jin's whining. * * * To be honest, I wanted to just sit as well, but after seeing the family head, I changed my mind. Meeting Do Yoon was a mystery enough, but encountering the family head confirmed it. 'There's something here.' There must be a secret within the Do family. This thought filled my mind. 'What could it be?' What could possibly be here? The uncertainty was suffocating. 'Damn it, if only I could use my senses...' If only I could utilize my energy, it wouldn't be this frustrating. But right now, I couldn't do anything, and it irked me. "Here's the training ground. It's spacious, right?" As we moved around following Do Yoon's lead, he introduced the training area. "It is spacious." "It is, isn't it?" "...Of course, it'd be spacious. This is just an open field." "Hahaha." Behind the family estate was a vast open space, simply equipped with a few scarecrows and wooden swords. Can we even call this a training ground? It's just practicing in an open field. "The wooden sword is rotting." Namgung Jin grimaced as he examined one of the wooden swords. It was true. That sword was decayed, and he didn't even want to touch it. "Ah, but it's still usable if you know how to handle it." "What do you mean it's usable? You shouldn't even touch something like that..." Namgung Jin distanced himself, apparently unwilling to go near it. Watching this, I sighed. "That's enough of a training ground... Next would be..." Do Yoon seemed ready to take us somewhere else. Seeing this, I spoke up. "Now, tell me." "..." He paused. Having heard my words, Do Yoon stopped. Looking at his back, I continued. "Why did you bring us here?" I've been patient enough. Why bring me here, to his family estate? I needed to know the reason. "Hmm..." Realizing it was time, Do Yoon gave a slightly awkward smile. "You noticed?" "There was no way I couldn't." He must have had a purpose for bringing me here. I never thought he invited me over just to show off his home. Especially— 'To such a run-down and shabby place.' If it were a grandiose estate, there would be at least some pretext. But bringing me to a place that seemed almost embarrassing to show off? I couldn't understand it. "But what if I said I wanted to show it to a friend? Would that not suffice?" "We're not that close." "You're quite firm, just a little hurtful." What hurt feelings? 'I know.' Even though he calls me a friend and acts warmly, I know very well that he doesn't see me as one. Even now. His eyes, while smiling, aren't truly looking at me. He's only interested in who I am. Nothing more, nothing less. And— 'I know those eyes all too well.' I've met such gazes several times before. There was even a time when I had eyes like those. "So, just tell me. Or if this guy is in your way, have him step aside for a bit." "What?" Namgung Jin reacted with irritation to my words. "After dragging me all the way here, now you're telling me to leave? What's with this madness?" "I wasn't telling you to leave. Just asking you to step aside for a moment." "Do I look like your escort? What nonsense!" "Oh? Aren’t you? I thought that was why you tagged along with us?" "This insane—" Just as Namgung Jin was about to lose his temper. "Senior, please excuse us for a moment." Fwoosh-! Energy poured out from Do Yoon's body, creating a thin barrier that encapsulated us. "Huh!? You punks—" Namgung Jin's voice was abruptly cut off. It was a technique to muffle sound. Seeing the energy barrier around us, I looked at Do Yoon and smirked. "It seems Namgung Jin shouldn't hear this, huh?" "Ahaha, it's better if fewer people know." "Then now, tell me. What's your purpose?" Why go through the trouble of bringing me here? His gaze changed at this point-blank question about his true intentions. 'Oh.' His expression vanished entirely, and the blank face matched his eyes well. "Baek Yangcheon." "Yes." The change in how he addressed me wasn't surprising. In fact, it seemed more fitting. "You... What is your connection with the Gu family?" Even mention of the Gu family didn't faze me. I already knew. Furthermore— "I think you already know." Do Yoon likely knew about my connection to the Gu family. Rumors must have spread by now. "Is it true that you're the Gu family head's illegitimate child?" "It turned out that way..." It's half-true. I am part of the Gu bloodline and technically an illegitimate child. Just not Gu Seong Yeol's. "Then, is your aim revenge on the Gu family?" "Hmm..." I merely tilted my head at such direct questioning. "Is that important?" "It is." Do Yoon spoke to me. "Because my goal is revenge on the Gu family. I hope it's yours as well." "..." I narrowed my eyes at his words.